GPS <--> AGPS

A quick look on google says that GPS is required for all cell phones
(well, E911 requires that 911 calls from cell phones also get the
coordinates, and operators didn't want to change all their towers, so
they started requiring their phones to have GPS). Sadly, most phones
don't allow application access to that data, perhaps due to some
cost-saving measures (like stripping down the correlator, etc).
AFAIK, the AGPS allows you to upload additional information into the
onboard correlator (the CPU that does the actual location calculations
for GPS) to enhance the accuracy over what you get with simple
satellite triangulation.
On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 12:36 PM, Tyrell Berry <tyrell.berry at gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm sorry if this question is completely ignorant, but I am always seeking
> understanding, and my previous understanding is inconsistant with the
> discussion here.
>> I had originally believed 2 things. First, that AGPS was required by law in
> all US cell phones (Possibly elsewhere). And second, I had believed
> that AGPS was simply GPS with "assistence" from triangulating off of the GSM
> towers as well. Meaning, I thought AGPS was a combination of satallite GPS
> and the sort of triangulation Google Maps does in the iPhone.
>> Further, I thought I read a comment somewhere, maybe a year ago, maybe
> more, (And I can't find the reference now) to the effect of "because the neo
> is required to have an AGPS chip, we will be giving the user access."
>> And so I guess my question is, is it legal to operate the Neo without AGPS?
> And is there more (Or less) functionality coming from the assist portion of
> the AGPS?
>> In all fairness, I have been confused before, and I will be confused again.
> I hope my ignorance hasn't opened up a larger can of worms... Thank you in
> advance for your response.
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--
H. Lally Singh
Ph.D. Candidate, Computer Science
Virginia Tech